2-week showdown to protect deer, stop poachers

The poacher who illegally shot this giant black-tailed deer with huge antlers, rare for California, was ordered to pay $5,000 after a new law went into effect with special fines for illegally-taken deer with more than 3x3 antlers, along with elk, Sierra bighorn sheep, antelope and wild turkey.

The poacher who illegally shot this giant black-tailed deer with...

On a walk in the woods this past week, we rounded a bend, and there, in a clearing, a giant buck emerged. It was a black-tailed deer with antlers that rose like a chandelier. In the Bay Area and Northern California, it’s rare to see black-tailed deer with racks like that.

The ol’ boy just stood there, unconcerned, stared at us, then walked into the forest.

“He knew he was safe with us,” said my wife, Denese. “Hopefully, a poacher won’t get him in the next two weeks.”

The next two weeks are critical. This is the red warning stage for big bucks and poachers in California, critical because, by the end of February, most of the bucks will have shed their antlers. That gives the poachers two weeks to illegally kill a trophy buck. Once the bucks drop their antlers, poachers often have little interest in their activity.

To put a stop to illegal trophy kills, the Department of Fish and Wildlife established a law with severe cash punishment: Poachers who take trophy deer, with antlers 3x3 or better face a minimum fine of $5,000, and in extreme cases, depending on circumstances, up to $40,000 per animal.

“The timeliness right now is critical,” said Patrick Foy, a DFW captain. “This is the time of year when the trophy bucks are most vulnerable. The poachers are trying to kill them just because they have big antlers. The antlers haven’t dropped off yet, but that is coming in the next two weeks.”

In addition, the big bucks can feel artificially safe right now. In the state’s wildlands, the hunting season has been over for months and the deer have migrated to lower elevations in their winter habitat. In more urban areas, deer are often domesticated from living in parks, golf courses and greenbelt, making them easy prey for poachers.

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If you see poaching, call the dispatcher at DFW at (888) 334-2258, a toll-free number for a secret witness program with rewards. For years, the Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated that the kills by poachers were so prolific that they undermined laws that govern law-abiding hunting.

The new law is already paying off.

A vineyard owner who illegally shot a black-tailed deer with 5x4 antlers was ordered to pay $5,000, plus other penalties, in a case announced last month, Foy said. “The guy had money, lawyered up, fought us at every turn, wanted to pay less than $1,000, and he still got the $5,000,” Foy said.

The case took place in December, Foy said.

The convicted poacher transported the deer to Nevada, Foy said, to have its head and antlers mounted and was in the process of applying for a hunting record.

Foy said the tip to game wardens that led to breaking the case came from a license-buying deer hunter who was outraged by the illegal activity.

“We have pending cases that we believe will qualify for the trophy penalty enhancements,” Foy said.

The new law stakes the minimum fine at $5,000, with a maximum of $40,000 for the illegal kill of a trophy deer, elk, antelope or bighorn sheep (penalties for bear poaching are already severe). For the illegal kill of a wild turkey, the minimum fine is $2,000 and maximum of $5,000. On top of it, those convicted face up to one year in county jail, probation and loss of their hunting license.

To help inspire counties to prosecute these cases, half of the money collected goes back to the county where the offense was committed. That money is largely earmarked to pay for local projects to enhance fish and wildlife populations.

Elk expansion

In a series of events now taking place in the north state, the DFW is capturing 59 Roosevelt elk to be ear tagged and fitted with GPS collars, and pregnant females are receiving an additional transmitter to monitor their pregnancies. The program will provide detailed information for two years about distribution, abundance, calf survival and habitat use, according to Joe Hobbs, who wrote the new Statewide Elk Conservation and Management Plan.

In the past 50 years, elk populations expanded from 2,500 to 13,000. That includes four herds on the outskirts of the Bay Area: Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, south of Suisun City; at Pierce Ranch and Muddy Hollow at Point Reyes National Seashore in west Marin; the San Francisco-owned Calaveras Watershed near Sunol Regional Wilderness; and the flank of Mount Hamilton.

Midnight songs: “It’s way too early in the year for tree frogs to start calling,” notes field scout Brian Murphy from the flank of Mount Diablo. “Last night I heard tree frogs calling. I guess the nice, warm weather woke them up from hibernation. Looks like I need to pay attention to when it’s time to take willow cuttings to be stuck in the mud of our wildlife corridor to create more cover for our wildlife.”

Golden Gate Bridge

This is how we do it: From Rincon Hill in S.F., “Golden Gate Transit to the toll plaza, No. 101 from 1st & Mission. Walk across the bridge then down to Cavallo Point for lunch. Continue walking to Sausalito. Ferry back to SF Ferry building, walk home. The weather has been perfect for this adventure with so many spectacular sights and views.” — MarySue Bizzarri